


Does he Know?

by Agentpeggicarter



Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Fluff and Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-30
Updated: 2017-10-30
Packaged: 2019-01-26 18:41:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,366
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12563752
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Agentpeggicarter/pseuds/Agentpeggicarter
Summary: You are invited to one of Tony Starks parties where you run into the last man you ever wanted to see again.





	Does he Know?

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this as a song challenge for a friend. The song selected was Does he know by One Direction. Hope you all enjoy.

You stare at the invitation in your hand and couldn’t help but frown. 

Why was Tony Stark inviting you, of all people, to one of his parties?

The two of you hadn’t spoken since you left Stark Enterprise and he named Pepper Potts CEO. He hadn’t thought about you in the last year, the lack of invites being proof enough, so why the sudden change? It didn’t help that your ex-boyfriend was going to be there, it had been a year since you two broke up, but the pain was still fresh like it happened yesterday.

You push away from the table irritated. How dare he think an invitation was a way to get him out of apologizing. It was a typical Tony Stark move.

You grabbed ingredients from the pantry using the anger you felt to chop up the potatoes you would make for dinner. Maybe some carrot too. 

Scott strolled into the apartment after a quick knock on the door, signalling his arrival. You turned from your spot over the stove and flashed him a quick smile before turning back to the food.

“You’re early,” you said.

“Am I? I didn’t notice, all I could think about all day was your promise of steak.”

You laugh. “Well it will be awhile before anything is ready, make yourself comfortable.”

“I always do,” he says making his way into the kitchen and jumping up on the counter, something you hated while you were cooking. “How have you been?” he asked as he snagged a piece of bacon from the bowl sitting next to him on the counter.

“Fine,”

“Done wallowing yet?”

You shot him a glare and grabbed the bowl putting it out of his reach.

Scott was referring to your ex-boyfriend, the one that had stolen your heart and promptly broke it. You hadn’t seen him in months, but just the mere mention of him had your heart racing and the water works on stand by. You couldn’t understand why it hurt just to think about him after all this time. Time healed all wounds, that’s what everyone liked to tell you, but time had yet to touch you.

“What? It’s a legitimate question.”

“Can we not discuss this, please? I appreciate everything you’ve done for me, you’ve been my biggest support these past months, but for one night let’s just enjoy the day/ourselves.”

Scott watched you cook and though your back was to him, he knew that the mention of him still hurt you. You were a mess when your ex-boyfriend left, Scott was the only one who could get you to open about it, to tell him what was wrong, and he hated the man that made you doubt yourself. It was hard seeing you trying to forget it all, to be the person you were before you were with somebody, but that person didn’t exist. Your ex was your other half, as much as Scott hated to admit, you needed him, but he wasn’t coming back and he was doing everything he could do to get you back on your feet.

“I can do that. Did I tell you about Cassie’s science fair project?” Scott asked.

You listened to Scott talk about his daughter, appreciating the change in subject, allowing you one evening of repreve, but your brain wasn’t allowing you off the hook so easily as you thought about the invitation you had gotten earlier.

It was the invitation he sent you every month, his way of trying to apologize for past transgression. You appreciated the olive branch he was trying to extend, but the memories were too vivid, the pain still fresh even after all this time.

“So that’s when I took the elephant home as a pet, they finally caught me.”

You turn your gaze away from the food in front of you. “What was that?”

“Oh you are listening, for awhile there I thought I lost you,”

“Sorry, I’m a bit distracted,”

“I see that, wanna talk about it?”

“Not particularly,”

“Fair enough, how about a glass of wine, might get that brain of yours to stop talking,”

You smile at the idea. “Might also ruin dinner,” 

“Who cares, burn mine if you have too… “ Scott pauses before turning back to you. “don’t burn it completely, but a nice char ain’t bad.”

“I think I can manage that, you mind setting the table?”

Scott looked at you in mock horror. “I am your guest and you’re asking me to do something helpful, how dare you,” he smiles. “No worries, least I can do.”

“And you know it,”

You add the steak to the cast iron skillet for a quick sear before adding them to the stove top grill, hoping to get those perfect grill marks.

“(Y/n), what’s this?”

“What’s what?”

“You are cordially invited to Stark Enterprise to partake in overpriced hor-d’oeuvres and expensive alcohol needed to enjoy the evening. Tomorrow night at seven, and a handwritten message from the big man himself,”

You snag the invitation from his hand and hold it behind your back. “Reading my mail now Lang?”

Scott holds up his hands. “Couldn’t help myself, you know how I feel about shiny objects, and the gold trim around that invitation, Mr. Stark sure went out of his way.”

“It’s just one of his parties,” You said trying to downplay the whole thing.

“Only one of his… You do realize he’s selective of who’s invited to these shindigs, right? Question is how did you score an invite?”

“Did you forget that I use to work for the man?” You tease setting the invitation on the counter.

“That doesn’t get you an invite, try again.”

You roll your eyes and turn back to the meal still cooking, trying to buy yourself some time. “Tony invites me every year,” you start, quickly dishing the onto serving platters before bringing it to the half set table. “As a way of apologizing,”

“Apologizing for what?” Scott prompted, getting an answer from you was like pulling teeth.

You grab the potatoes from the oven and make quick work of fixing the plates, anything to prolong the conversation you were about to have. Scott watched you slowly make your way into the dining room. You were uneasy, drinking most of your wine before he could take one bite.

“Tony thinks… he feels like it’s his fault that I am currently… single.”

“What, did he run away with your man?”

You shake your head, pouring yourself another glass.

“Last I checked you haven’t heard from -” you shot Scott a glare as the name died on his lips. “He left without a word, how does Tony fit into this?” 

“He worked for Tony… do we really have to talk about this?”

“Just trying to get the full picture, we don’t -”

“Have to talk about it, I know.” You drowned the rest of your glass before pouring yourself the rest bottle.

But talk about it you did.

“We use to work together at Stark Enterprise. I don’t know what department he was in, but we managed to see each other pretty regularly,” you smiled at the memory realizing he probably planned it that way. He loved to leave you wanting more and the little notes he hid around your desk always had you thinking of him. “It was constant flirting and back and forth, everyone could tell we were head over heel for the other, but we didn’t,”

Scott had heard this before, had even witnessed it first hand when he visited you at the office to ask you to lunch. The two of you frequently got lunch together since Scott worked a floor above you in the research division part of Stark Enterprise. Scott watched how quickly you fell and knew the minute you started talking about him that he was the only one for you. He was your better half, a half you couldn’t live without, regardless to how you currently felt. 

“Tony was the reason we started dating, he managed to get both of us at this amazing french restaurant saying he need to talk to us, and of course Tony never showed and it was just the two of us. It was the weirdest, yet the best first date I’ve ever had. ”

You remembered the day he brought you to the beach for a surprise picnic and smiled at the memory. The day had started out sunny and beautiful, you had managed to enjoy the sun and sand, the beautiful waves, it felt like you were the only two left in the world. You recall him dragging you into the water, despite your protests, how he trailed feather light kisses down your spine as you laid out to dry, it was the perfect day. 

Then the sky turned dark, cutting your day way too short, but he took it in stride grabbing your hand and pulling you into the nearest building until the rain stopped. You were never cold with the way his hands roamed your body, and his lips were hot against yours. You don’t remember when the rain stopped, and you don’t remember caring, you just enjoyed the moment held in his arms and the smile on his face each time he looked at you. It was that moment when you fell in love.

It was so easy to fall for him, to get caught up in knowing the person; their parents name, if they had any siblings, their favorite food, the way they sleep, it was like nothing else mattered. You couldn’t know that he was slowly slipping away, that each time you asked a question or spent with each other was a step toward your break-up. It never showed on his face that he wasn’t happy, that he didn’t like you any more.

How could you possible know when you were so hopelessly, inexplicable, in love? 

“And you know the rest, he broke up with me, moved out of the house, and left, haven’t heard from him since. Don’t really know why he ended things, except he ‘wasn’t filling it anymore,’ which he sent over a text, pretty lame right?”

“And Tony feels responsible for you feeling this way because he set you up?”

“I guess, I haven’t really talked about him except for the day after he broke up with me, I said somethings to Tony I’m not proud of, called him things he didn’t deserve. I believe this is his way of saying sorry, an open invitation that Tony’s always there.”

“He sends you one every month?”

You nod your head and take a small bite of food, though you were no longer hungry after the conversation.

“Well, in that case, you’re going.”

“Excuse me, like hell I am!”

“You were just telling me the other day that you were over everything and ready to move on, apologizing to Tony will help you find that closer.”

“How do you figure that one Scott? Tony’s not the one who broke up with me, the only way I’m getting closer is if he’s there to talk to me, and we both know he’s not going to be anywhere I am.”

“All the more reason for you to go. You need to apologize.”

You took took a drink of your wine and frowned finding your glass empty. “I hate you, I hate when you’re right.”

“No you don’t, and to help you, I’ll accompany you.”

“What?”

“To make sure you don’t chicken out, of course,”

“Of course, it has nothing to do with it being one of Tony Starks parties or anything, it’s all for my well being.”

“Eat your food, you have a busy day tomorrow,” 

You roll your eyes but smile at Scott, knowing you couldn’t do this without him.

~//~//~//

You enter the party like you owned the place, your head held high and a smile on your lips. It wasn’t hard to feel like you belong among the socialites around you, decked out the way you were, dressed to the nines, your dress fitting you like a glove, and based off the looks you were getting this evening everyone agreed.

Scott had you running around the city looking for the perfect dress that made you look good and showed your exes exactly what they were missing. Then there was the hair appointment to tame your locks followed by perfecting your chipped nails. You felt like an entirely new person, which is what Scott was going for, looked like his hard work paid off.

“Good evening Miss, It’s a pleasure seeing you again,” The AI, Friday, said cheerfully.

You smiled. “Friday, nice to hear from you as always,”

“Shall I inform Mr. Stark you’ve arrived?”

“That’s okay, I’m sure he’s busy, I’ll find him later,”

“Enjoy yourself Miss.”

You let out a shaky breath and felt Scott standing next to you, lending you his strength.

“You got this, now let's show these bitches who we are.” Scott said extending his hand, ready to escort you into the lion's den.

You gave a small smile and let him lead you into the crowd and towards the bar. He could tell you were in desperate need of a drink, something to help the nerves that had you constantly glancing toward the nearest exit.

“I’m going to grab us some drinks, think you’ll be okay without me?”

“I’ll try my best,” You reply as he disappears in the crowd.

You smooth the front of your dress suddenly feeling like this was a bad idea. It was obvious you didn’t belong among this crowd of socialites, not knowing a single soul since your departure from the company a year ago. You were clearly in over your head, and coming here was a mistake. 

You turn ready to bolt when you nearly collide with someone, their strong grip the only thing keeping you from falling.

“Leaving so soon?” A familiar voice asked. 

You slowly peel your eyes off the ground and meet Tony’s gaze, avoiding him was no longer an option.

“The party was getting kind of boring,” You lie, not wanting to admit you were steering clear of him.

Tony clutched his chest as if hurt by your words. “My party? Boring? You wound me (Y/N),”

You stifle a laugh, happy to see him again after all this time, and glad some things never change. The smile slowly fell from your face as you remembered why you were avoiding him in the first place.

“It’s good to see you again (Y/N),” Tony said.

“You too Tony,”

“I miss having you around, nobody understand me like you did,”

“You’re just saying that, I imagine there are plenty of people for you to boss around Mr. Stark.”

“You aren’t wrong, but none of them are as charming as you,”

“Complimenting me won't bring me back you know,”

“A guy can try right? You look good by the way, better than the last time I saw you.”

“That…. That was a dark day for me, I was a mess, said some things I’m not proud of.” You admit.

“So I’m no longer the slimmest scum to ever walk the Earth?” Tony teased.

“God no! I can’t believe I said that, I’m sorry,”

“I am too, I didn’t know it would end like that and if I did, I never would have set you two up.”

You placed your hand on his arm. “Tony it’s okay. I know you feel responsible for this, that you broke my heart because you brought us together, but you couldn’t have known. It didn’t help that I blamed you for everything that happened, that wasn’t fair to you and for that I am sorry,”

Tony took your hand and gave it a gently squeeze. “Thank you, how about that drink,”

“A drink would be nice, but it’s time for you to socialize and get these people to give you their money. Go be charming somewhere else.”

“As nice as that sounds, I really think you should have that drink,”

“Trying to get me drunk Stark?”

“Maybe, depends on how you handle what I’m about to tell you.”

You tilt your head, curious about what he had to tell you, you could tell he was distracted, the way his eyes traveled across the room looking for someone. 

“Yea, sure, I can go for a drink. Raspberry martini?” You ask.

Tony nodded his head and quickly disappeared leaving you, yet again, alone. Something was definitely up, something he obviously wanted to talk about, but what? You haven’t spoken to each other in almost a year, what had him so upset you needed a drink to hear the news.

“Champagne?” Scott asked presenting you with the bubbly flute. “Was that Tony Stark you were just talking with?”

“Yea, ran into him actually, he’s going to get me a drink.”

“But you already-” You quickly drank the flute and set the empty glass on the tray of a passing waiter. “Never mind. How are you feeling?”

“Better, now that I talked with Tony. Thanks for that by the way”

“Is that a thank you I’m hearing from you? Are you thanking me for having you attend tonight?”

You smack Scott’s arm. “Stop it now before I take it back.”

“Shutting up, did you see the food he has here? Tony sure went all out,”

You smile. “He tends to do that.”

You lapsed into silence when you felt his eyes on you. It took every ounce of self control to not look for him in the crowd, to see his charming smile, and fall back into the despair you had left behind. Just the idea of seeing him again had your heart racing and you knew it was mistake coming here tonight. You excused yourself, your mind reeling as you tried to get away, but there was no way to stop the walls from closing in around you.

“I hear you’re dating again,” he whispered in your ear.

You jumped despite yourself and tried to figure out how he got to you so quickly, you thought you had time to disappear before he noticed you. You should have know better, when it came to Pietro, he was always one step ahead of you.

“What if I am, why does it matter to you?” You ask a little defensive. 

Pietro shrugs and slips his hands into his pockets. Your eyes catch the movement easily enough and you remember all the things those fingers use to do to you and you can’t help the faint blush that appears on your cheeks.

“I just want to make sure he’s treating you right is all.”

“He’s treating me better than you, he doesn’t disappear months on end without a word,”

“What can I say drăguţă, I’m an international man of mystery,” he said flashing you one of his charming smiles, the same smile that made your knees weak.

“Bullshit!” You exclaimed and quickly lowered you voice as nearby guest sent you curious looks. “Bullshit, you left without telling anybody, without telling me where you were, when you’d be back, if you’d be back and I thought… I thought…”

“What? That I ran off with the first girl I met?”

“I thought you were dead!”

He laughed. “You know nobody can touch me,”

You stare into the blue eyes you missed so much and wished you could get him to understand how you felt when he left but this was Pietro and he was always right. 

You pushed past him and headed toward the bar suddenly in need of a drink… or two. It was all coming back to you, all the memories you tried to forget, all the feelings you thought you had repressed, all of it was coming back.

“Does he know about me?”

“Who?”

“Your boyfriend?”

You snort into your glass. “No... he doesn’t,” You didn’t want to admit to Pietro that you weren’t actually seeing anyone, that you still thought about him, even after all this time.

“Really?” he asked, sounding skeptical.

“Yes, I moved on,”

“Really?” he asked a sly smile on his lips/face.

“Yes really, why is that so hard to believe? I. moved. On.” You exclaimed pushing past him.

Pietro wasn’t having that, you having the last word, as he snaked his arm around your waist, pulling you toward him.

“Let go of me,” you warned.

“No,” he said after a minute of contemplation.

“No?”

“I will not let go of you until you admit you still care for me,”

“Care for you?” You stared at Pietro in disbelief. “You’re lucky I’m still speaking to you after the shit you pulled.” You said pushing Pietro away, trying to give yourself enough space. You need to get out from his protective his arms, away from the scent of his soap and cologne, you needed to get away.

You shook your head and headed for the balcony in the need of fresh air, something to get you thinking straight. The minute the cool air hit your face you felt the clarity you were lacking, remembered how he left things and it fueled your anger.

“I miss you,” he whispered. 

“No,” you spun around, outraged he would say such a thing. “you don’t get to do that, you don’t get to walk back into my life and pretend everything's okay,” Just as quickly the anger was gone and you were left with the hole Pietro gave you. 

You quickly wipe the tears from your eyes hating yourself for showing him how much he still met to you. “You know I cried over you… I cried for months after you left, did you know that?” you ask.

Pietro shook his head.

“Those were the worst months of my life P, you broke my heart, and I didn’t understand why, but seeing you again, after all this time I finally figured it all out,”

You smile despite how much seeing him hurt you, knowing he could walk away again. “You’re not as mysterious as you think you are Pietro Django Maximoff.”

“You have me all figured out then? If you know me so well, what was the point of engaging me in conversation unless to see how I was fairing. See I have you figured out too.” Pietro said.

You watched as he slowly crept closer to you only for you to take a step back each time he advanced until your back hit the wall and you had no where left to run. 

“Does he know everything there is to know, does he know what I know? Your secret tattoo?” you felt his thumb pass over the spot that held the words you try live by ‘without struggle, there is no progress’, and feel a shiver run down your spine. “the way you change moods, the song you sing when you’re all alone, the way you dance?”

You felt your eyes flutter close as you felt his warm breath upon your neck before his lips met your hot skin, you forgot what he did to you. You fell back to old times and let his mouth trail kisses up and down your neck, it was only when his lips met your lips, you realized what you were doing. 

Your eyes snapped open and with what little strength you possessed and you pushed him away. You couldn’t do this, not until he answered you. 

“Drăguţă,” he pleaded sounding like he was in just as much pain as you were. 

“Don’t. Please don’t call me that.” You murmured trying to find your voice. You were losing it, every wall you made to keep him out was crumbling and you were finding it harder and harder to resist him. 

“You were scared Pietro,”

He scuffed. 

“Things were getting serious between us and that terrified you, so you ran, the only thing you’re good at.”

“If I remember correctly I was good at other things too,” he said reaching for you.

You shot him a glare, stopping him from advancing toward you, and continued. “But you made that decision without me, you thought you knew what I would say,”

“I do,” he protested. 

“You don’t! Pietro, I would have followed you to the ends of the Earth, all you had to do was ask,”

“I didn’t want to hurt you drăguţă,”

“Well Congratulations, you did, passed with flying colors even, because you broke me.”

“You don’t think it hurt me just as much as it hurt you?” He shot back, “I didn’t want to leave, that year with you was the best year of my life and if I could go back and change what happened I would, in a heartbeat,”

“Then why did you go? Why did you leave me?”

“I was scared okay, but not for the reasons you think. They threatened you! These people I was tasked to bring in, they threatened everyone we knew, and they knew things only someone on the inside could know. Ending it was the only way I could keep you safe,”

You laughed, you couldn’t help it. Everything you wanted to hear from Pietro was pouring from his lips, it was just a little too late. 

“Keep me safe, that’s what you have to say, do you remember what you told me when you left? Do you remember the text you sent me?” you asked.

To Pietro credit, he managed to look chagrin about how he ended things. He knew he didn’t go about breaking up with you the right way, he didn’t want to end things with you at all, but the thought of someone coming after you had made the decision for him.

“I’m not feeling it, and then nothing. You were just gone, you broke my heart. I don’t know how you can go about fixing that.”

“You’re lying to yourself if you think it’s over between us, keep trying, but you know I see everything that makes you who you are, so tell me drăguţă, does he know you're out?” He asked pulling you into his arms. 

“No,” you breath causing him to smile, the same smile you missed so much.

“His mistake because I’m not letting you go,”


End file.
